The last day of our visual story telling is here the day before my next event with my miniatures. I’m excited because my eyes will be filled with the creations of other artists and crafters. Being able to show and sell my handmade minis is also a benefit.
While I’m at my event this weekend, I’m going to take a few things that I find and try to create a visual story with them. I might event turn this into a comic style story. Think of your chapters as one page covers. What are the most important elements in your story?
Your prompt for today is draw them out. Trying to cram everything into the page or square box might not be the best idea but if it’s what you want to do, then do it. Think of your book as a graphic novel and you only have a few conversation bubbles but what you want to tell your audience has to be done through visuals. Comic and graphic novelists tend to think with a different lense.
What do I mean? I mean that I change the way I’m viewing my surroundings when I take photographs, than when I’m drawing by hand or writing. When I’m writing words the visuals are passing by in the back of my mind in a blur. Photographs find a frame, freeze it on a focal point, and then hit the button. Finding a point of interest is more critical because you don’t get page after page to explain why it’s interesting. You have to become Ansel Adam’s by walking up to a scene, taking out your camera, taking only one shot, and walk away.
Yes, this was Ansel’s practice that he built up after years of experience. Fix on the focal point until it becomes instinctual and you know you have “the shot”. I think doing exercises and prompts like this with your writing will help you get to the point of your chapters without unnecessary words. More practice means your less likely to spend pages talking about some minor detail that’s not important to the story. A writer’s words should be like an impressionist painting. There are focal points that draw the eye in but leave the reader to form the complete picture.
Readers need hints of color, shapes, and a way to focus. A writer shouldn’t spend hours contemplating on the shade of red for a page. Let the audience what shade they want it to be, unless it’s an integral part of the story.
Take your outline and sketch out the chapters without thinking too long. Spend 5 minutes on each one. If you don’t have a full outline, then sketch out the story stuck in your head. Both methods will help get your story out on paper. If you need more time, then take the rest of the weekend to get the outline sketched out.
I’ll be busy walking my event space this weekend to find other creations that spark new ideas. I feel a new short coming on. Until Monday!
My posts are Monday to Friday.
Imagine Inspire Create: 52 Weeks of action and gratitude is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S6XCLFY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Q7MHM9CFBSASDG56YMJQ
Get closer to your writing goals with my Writer’s Journal filled with writing prompts and exercises. You can find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931QRL7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VTHN0QSHXRYK6RJ1XSWQ.
Writer's Block Inc 